Man, Doomsday is spent. Like, besides the facts that a six or eight-issue fistfight royale ending in Superman's death can only be done to any effect once--and that that's all Doomsday is good for--the last time I saw him with my own eyes, in Infinite Crisis, he got taken down in the space of a single double-page splash.*

Maybe DD was a threat back when Kryptonians were Byrnized and not yet back at their Silver Age power levels, but it's hard to take someone seriously after such a severe anticlimactic punking.

And according to Wikipedia there's a bit where Superman just straight-up kicked his ass pretty much by himself (plus, granted, the not inconsiderable help of the Martian Manhunter). And also gave him a speech about getting in touch with his feelings or some shit.

What a superior villain. : /

*Which was pretty damn bogus if you read Villains United, where he's built up as being the most fearsome thing there was in the Society's army. Good coordination there.

Not to mention the fact that Doomsday didn't even beat Superman to death, just pummeled him enough to weaken him until he was charged by the sun. I just like the use of the S blood symbol. Always been a sucker for that.

Wow, this shows how out of touch I am with some aspects of the DC Universe. I thought Doomsday was destroyed ages ago by going back to the beginning of time or some such. Apparently a ton of stuff happened after that!

It is a wicked symbol. Just that Doomsday is, ultimately, a one-off villain... who was very effective that one time.

See, I really liked the Death of Superman, even though it was essentially a 150 or so page mindless punch-up, it was done in a manner that kept amping up the tension, and beautifully reflected the exhaustion of our hero, and the near-hopelessness of his cause. If he hadn't died (or "died") it would have been terrible. No other story with Doomsday will match that, or, even theoretically, can match that. Unlike Luthor or Brainiac, there isn't a possible ultimate Doomsday story waiting around the corner.

But there can't be such a thing as a single-use intellectual property in a serial genre.

I'm always happy to see Doomsday return... as long as he's just a complication to a pre-existing story. The way he was used in the Imperiex War... in Infinite Crisis.... in New Krypton... The story shouldn't be about him.

It is a wicked symbol. Just that Doomsday is, ultimately, a one-off villain... who was very effective that one time.

See, I really liked the Death of Superman, even though it was essentially a 150 or so page mindless punch-up, it was done in a manner that kept amping up the tension, and beautifully reflected the exhaustion of our hero, and the near-hopelessness of his cause. If he hadn't died (or "died") it would have been terrible. No other story with Doomsday will match that, or, even theoretically, can match that. Unlike Luthor or Brainiac, there isn't a possible ultimate Doomsday story waiting around the corner.

But there can't be such a thing as a single-use intellectual property in a serial genre.

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I agree with this; however, the immediate sequel was a nice wrap-up to the storyline that introduced Doomsday. It gave him a nice origin and explanation while getting rid of him without depowering him. AND it should have ended there.

Since Doomsday is a constantly evolving creature always adapting to be superior to its foes, perhaps it is now adding some mental abilities. This would allow the character to be taken in a new direction, because as stated above he is played out.

I enjoyed the storyarc where he first returned at the side of Talia and Ra's considered him as his next suitable heir and as another test for the "Detective". Batman ultimately beat him this time in their rematch and reinforced Talia's love for him.